Rail-breaking machine.



Patented July 25, |899.V G. W. BAUMHFF SCHMID.

RAIL BREAKING MACHINE.

(Application led Mar. 31, 1899.)

4 Shets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)`

urna. wunmawm u c No. 629,4n. Patented'luly 25, |899. e. w. BAuMHoFF & o. scHMm'.

'RAIL BREAKING MACHINE.

(Application filed Mar. 31, 1899.)

(N0 MUSIJ 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Nonms PETERS co4 PNoTo-L|THo WASHINGTON4 0. c.

No.' 629,4l7.

Patented July 25, |899. G. w. BAuMHoFF & o. scHmm.

4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

Fm) Na mw C1. Al. 3 ML Gm mm K1 AD E0 am Bm Lw AM nn M d o M ,N.

INN

TNI E55E5 No. 629,4|7. Patented July 25, |899.

` w. BAuMHoFF & o. scHMm.

RAIL BREAKING MACHINE.

(Applicatcyn filed Mar. 31, 1899.) mo Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

vhf-M EWE-:Lm www M NIF-TED STATES PATENTv OEEICE.

GEORGE w. BAUMIIOEE AND OTTO SOI-1Min, on ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNORS To WILLIAM M. HORTON, on SAME PLACE.

.RrAlL-BREAKING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming partl of-Letters Patent No. 629,41 '7, dated July 25, ,1899. Application filed March 31, 18'99. Serial No. 711,223. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be -it known that we, GEORGE W. BAUM- HOEE and OTTO SCHMID, citizens of the Unitedpart of this specification.

Our invention relates to a machine for use in breaking rails of a railway-track into small Sections, the device being designed for use in tearing up railway-tracks of which no further service is desired, -owingto the rails becom ing worn or for any other reason.

Our invention consists in features of `novelty hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims. f

Railway-tracks,'especially1 those of electric railways, as at present constructed have the rails thereof united at their ends by welding throughout the extent of the track, so that practically continuous rails are produced. With railway-tracks constructedy in the Inanner stated it has heretofore been necessary in removing the old rails to cut the rails up into l sections', such cutting beingaccomplished by the use of chisels and hammers manipulated by hand. This process of breaking up the tracks has proven very tedious; and itis the object of our invention to provide a machine that may be moved along the track beingl broken up and through Ineans of which the track may be quickly torn up and the rails be broken .into any desired length of sections and in the use of which machine it can be readily conveyed along the track as the process of destruction thereof progresses.

Figure I is a side elevation with one of the side walls of the machine-bod y partly broken.

away to show the motor and gearing on the interior. Fig. II is an'elevation of the front end of the machine, illustrating the parts in the position assumed when the rails to be broken have been drawn upwardly in the action of breaking them. Fig. III is an end view showing the parts in the position assumed when the rails are first grasped previously to their being bent upwardly. Fig. IV is a plan view showing the parts in the positions seen in Fig. III and the body ofthe apparatus in horizontal Section. Fig. V is a detail elevation of one of the hinged fulcrum knife-edge members and one of the stay-bars by which the machine is held to the track. Fig. VI is a side View of the fulcrum knifeedge members shown in Fig. V. Fig. VII is anenlarged detail view of the lower end of the fulcrum knife-edge member and chisel carried thereby. illustrating a modification. Fig. IX is an end view of the modification shown in Fig. VIII, with parts of the apparatusshown in vertical section, taken on line IX IX, Fig. VIII.

1 designates the body of the machine carried on a truck 2, adapted to travel on the track-rails A, mounted on the ties B. At each side of the body lis a pair of channel-bars 4, that inclose filling-timbers 3. The channelbars 4 protrude beyond the end of the body 1 and form extensions 5, said extensions pro Fig. VIII is a side elevation.

jecting downwardly toward the track, but

exterior ot' the rails, in position above the extremitiesof the track-ties B. Extending inwardly from the ends of the extensions 5 are horizontally-arranged bars 6, the inner ends of 'which are connected to the extensions 5 by brace-bars 7.

8 designatesa Inotor mounted withink the body 1. This motor may be of any desirable form, and where the machine is used in tearing up the tracks of an electric railway the motor is preferably an electric motor that may receive its power from the ordinary e1ectric conductors used inthe operation of cars on railways of this class. vThe motor is provided with suitable gearing 9 and 10, that communicate the power from the motor through the gearing 11 to a shaft 12. The shaft 12 is provided with a pair of drums 13, having flanges 1%.

15 designates chains, one end ot each of which is connected to the {ianges 14 of the drums 13, the said chains passing over pulleys 16, mounted in uprights 17 at the workn ing end of the machine. The free outer ends of the chains I5 are equipped with tongs 18,

that are adapted to grip the track-rails in they 19 designates knife-edge members hinged at 2O to the frame of the machine-body and provided with knife-edges 21, adapted to bear against the track-rails when swung into position beneath the body of the rmachine, as clearly shown in Figs. I and II, and when in such position to serve as fulcrum-points at which the rails are broken, as will hereinafter fully appear. WVhen the members 19 are in the position seen in Figs. I and Il, their upper surfaces abut firmly against the lower ends ofthe uprights 17 and the strain on such members is communicated directly from the members to the body of the machine. When, however, the machine is not in use, but is being transported, these members 19 are designed to be elevated by swinging' them on their hinges up against the uprights 17,where they may be held by hooks 22, engaging pins 23 on the members or by any other suitable means of support.

The first step performed in breaking the rails with the use of this machine is to swing lhe knife-edge members 19 into lowered position beneath the machine-body, Where the knife-edges will rest inl positionsagainst the top surfaces of the track-rails. The tongs are then connected to the rails, the connection of said tongs being effected at a distance from the knife-.edges and near the ends of the portions ofthe rails that are broken. The m0- torSis then put into operation and its motion is communicated to the drums 13, the shaft of which is geared to the motor, as explained. The turning of the drums 13 causes the chains 15 to be Wound thereon, and thereby a strain is effected upon the track-rails, whereby they are-elevated, together with the ties to which they are connected, thus raising a portion of the entire track, as seen in Fig. I. As this portion of the track is elevated the knifeedges fulcrum at the points A (see Figs. I and Il) against the rails. The said knife-edges are caused to bite into the rails by reason of the strain effected by the upward pull on the rails. In drawing the ends of the rails A up into the position shown in Fig. II the ties B, to which the rails are connected, are successively brought against the horizontal bars 6, carried by the extensions 5, which, as explained, occupy positions above the extremities of the said ties. vThe ends of the rails in their upward movement force the ties against the horizontal bars 6 and the connections from the rails to the ties are strained or broken loose, thereby separating the ties and allowing them to fall to the ground, while the upward movement of the ends of the rails continues.

In the instance of tough rails it is sometimes impossible to effect a breakage of the rails by a single upward movement ofthe ends thereof into the position shown in Fig. II by fulcruming said rails against the knife-edges 21, and in such inst-ance it is necessary to eect a reversemovementof the rail ends in order to finish breaking them. In such instance we employ a means which will now be described. Vith the ends of the rails bent into the position seen in Fig. II it is irst necessary to release the gri pping-tongs 18, and in doing so the chains l'necessarily have to be slackened. operation of the motor 8 is reversed, thereby turningthe shaft 12 and the drums 13 in the opposite direction from that in which they rwere previously moved and slackening the chain. In order to carry the chainson the pulleys 16 during the period of effecting their slackening, we provide a belt 24, placed upon a pulley 25 on the shaft 12 and a pulley 26 on the shaft by which the pulleys 16 are carried. By means of this belt connection between the shaft 12 and the shaft of the pulleys 16 the pulleys 16 are rotated in `the `reverse movement of the drums 13, and thereby the chains 15 are carried on said pulleys to convey the slack to the outer ends of the chains and provide for the easy disconnection of the gripping-tongs 18. To eect the return or downward movement of the ends of the rails, which have been bent upward, short pieces of rope are brought into use in the following manner:

27 designates the ropes, which are provided at their ends with hooks 28 and 29. These ropes are arranged to travel on pulleys 30, mounted at the extremities of the extensions 5. When the chains 15 are to be slackened and the gri ppinghooks released from the rails, the hook 28 is enga-ged in one of the links of said chain, while the hook 29 at the other end of the rope is connected to the upturned end of the rail. (See Fig. II.) The motor 8 being then again putinto operation, the chains 15 are wound on their drums, as before, and a pull upon said chains causes `the ends of the ropes connected to the chains to be drawn, and the ropes traveling on the pulleys 30 edect a downward pull upon the up# turned ends of the rails by reason of the hooks 29 being connected to the said rails. The upturned rail ends are thereby drawn downwardly and a breakage at the location of the fulcru ming knife edges is accom4 plished, or in the event of such breakage not occurring the previous operation of bending the rails upwardly is again effected, and thev two operations are Vcontinued untilsuch time as the rails are broken. are not in use, one of their hooks is hung on eyes 3l at the extremities of the extensions 5 and the other hook Yis hung upon hooks 32 at the sides of the uprights 17.

In order to prevent the strain of bending the rails from causing the machine to be lifted upwardly at either end during the operation thereof, wefeinplo'y stays by which connection may be effected between the machine and the rails upon which the machine is standing. These stays are in the form of hooked bars 33, that are adapted to engage beneath the rails at one end and to `engage above the channel-bars etat the opposite ends. i

In effecting the upward pull upon the rail ends these stays are connected with the ma-.

Vhen the 'ropes 27.

In accomplishing this the IOO IIO

chine at the' rear end thereof, as seen in Fig. I, for the-reason that the tendency at lsuch time isto lift therear end oi the machine and to depress theforward end. .When, however, the rail ends are to bebent downwardly after being bent upwardly, the stays are used to connect the machine and rails, as seen in Fig. Il, as in this instance the tendency is to elevate the forward end of the machine and to depress the rear end.- When the stays arenot in use, they-are .inserted in openings in the uprights 17 made to receive them. (See Fig. I.)

In some instances it is advisable to nick the rail-flanges in order to cause them to be more readily broken, and for this purpose we have provided chisels carried by the knifeedge members 19, adapted for use inthe connection mentioned. These chisels (designated by 34, see Figs. III, V, and VII) are mounted in boxes 35 and are provided with retracting-springs 36, located in said boxes, each chisel being provided with a head 37. The chisels are arranged obliquely to the members 19, so as to be presented atan angle to the track-rails, and they are adapted to be struck by Sledge-hammers to drive them into the base-flanges of the rails for the purpose of nicking the said rails and causing the severance thereof at the points at which the rails are to be broken.

The weight of the parts at the Working end Y ably mounted and are adapted to serve as stems forthe knife-edges 2la,that bear against the rails, as is the case with the construction of said knife-edges hereinbefore described. In this modilication the upper ends of the uprights are supported by braces 38 and 39, supported by the machine-body and the extensions 5. The uprights are provided with pulleys 16, the shaft of which is mounted in.

the braces 38 and 39. The uprights 17a, are provided with vertical slots 17h, that permit a vertical movement of the uprights, whereby they may be elevated to raise the knife-ed ges from contact with the track-rails when the machine is moved from place to place. On the uprights are racks 40, that are adapted to receive the engagement of toothed wheels 41, arranged to be manipulated by a crank 42, the shaft of which is mounted in standards 43. By this arrangement the uprights v may be raised from and lowered to the trackrails by turning the crank 42 and causing the teeth of the wheels 4l to work in the racks 40 and move the uprights at will-when the strain upon the chains 15 is relieved.

Wel claim asouri'nventioni 1. In a machineof the character described, the combination of a carriage, the fulcrum carried by said carriage adapted to bear against a railway-rail, and means for elevating said rail against said fulcru m to break it; substantially as described.

2.v In a machine of the character described, the combination of a truck and body carried thereby, a knife-edge carried by said body adapted to bear upon a railway-rail, andy means for elevating said rail against said knife-edge as a fulcrum to break it, substantially as described.

' 3. In a machine of the character described,`

adapted to bear upon a railway-rail, alchain,

a pair of tongs carried by said chain by which said rail may be gripped, and mechanism for y effecting a strain upon said chain, substantially as described.

5. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a truck and body carried thereby, a knife-edge carried by said body adapted to bear upona railway-rail, means for bending said rail upwardly against said knife-edge as a fulcrum, and means adapted to be connected with said first-named means whereby said rail may be bent downwardly again, substantially as described.

In a'machine of t-he character described, the combination of a truck and body carried thereby, a pair of knife-edges adapted to bear against the rails to be broken, a pair of drums mounted upon said body,1nechanism for driving said drums, a pair ot' chains connected to said drums and adapted to be wound thereon, tongs carried by said chains by which the IOO IIO

rails may be gripped, and ropes adapted to be connected to said chains and rails for the they havebeen elevated, substantially as described.

7. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a truckand body carried thereby, knit'e-edgesadapted to bear against the rails to be broken, means for gripping and elevating the rails, and spring-actuated chisels carried by the members by which said knife-edges arecarried adapted to be driven into the rails to be broken for the purpose of nicking them, substantially as described.

8. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a truck and body carried thereby, knife-edge members carried by said body adapted to bear upon rails to bebroken, said knife-edge members being movably conizo neeted to said -body providing yforl their being body providinglfoxj their 'being elevahedaway elevated awayffromsaid rails,:an.d means for fromsaid 1fai1s,and means lforelevating Lsaid elevating said `rails Aagainst `said knife-.edge milfs aganstsa'idkn-iffeedge-members asaffulmembers as a fulex'um Vwhen the knifeed-ge crum When-the `knife-edgemembers:are110W-V i 5 5 melmbers are lowered thereagainst, substa'nl ered thereagainst,substantially as'described.

tie` 1y as described. i f A 9. In a machine of the character descibed, gggIgAUMnoB F the `combination of a truck and `body carried thereby, knife-edge members carried by said In `presence 0flo body-adaptedto bear upon 4rails -to be broken, I E. S. KNIGHT,

s'aid knife-edge members being hinged to said l G. A. '1`AUBERSCHMIDT. 

